Bhagavad Gita Chapter 10, Verse 31

Chapter 10 – Vibhuti Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

पवनः पवतामस्मि रामः शस्त्रभृतामहम् ।
झषाणां मकरश्चास्मि स्रोतसामस्मि जाह्नवी ॥

Transliteration

pavanaḥ pavatāmasmi rāmaḥ śastrabhṛtāmaham .
jhaṣāṇāṃ makaraścāsmi srotasāmasmi jāhnavī ॥

Meaning

Among purifiers I am the wind; among wielders of weapons I am Rama; among water creatures I am the makara; and among rivers I am the Ganga.

Word meanings

पवनः – the wind
पवताम् – among purifiers, among the swift
अस्मि – I am
रामः – Rama, son of Dasharatha
शस्त्रभृताम् – among wielders of weapons
अहम् – I
झषाणाम् – among aquatic creatures
मकरः – the makara
च – and
अस्मि – I am
स्रोतसाम् – among flowing streams
अस्मि – I am
जाह्नवी – Jahnavi, the Ganga

Anvaya (word order)

पवताम् पवनः अस्मि, शस्त्रभृताम् अहं रामः (अस्मि), झषाणां मकरः च अस्मि, स्रोतसां जाह्नवी अस्मि ।

Explanation

Pavanah pavatam asmi, ‘among purifiers I am the wind’. Pavatam can mean purifiers or swift movers, and the wind excels in both senses: it carries away foul air and impurity, cleansing the atmosphere, and it moves with great speed. As prana, the same air sustains the life of every creature.

Ramah shastra-bhritam aham, ‘among wielders of weapons I am Rama’. Shankara, Ramanuja and most traditional commentators take this as Rama, son of Dasharatha, who took up the bow to defend dharma and slew Ravana. Rama’s weapon was never raised for injustice; he is maryada purushottama, the ideal man whose power always served righteousness. Some interpreters mention Parashurama or Balarama here, but the main tradition understands Dasharathi Rama. It is worth noticing that Krishna names His own earlier incarnation as His glory: the ideal of righteous use of arms is embodied in Rama.

Jhashanam makarash chasmi, ‘among water creatures I am the makara’, a great aquatic being often identified with the crocodile or a mythical sea creature. It is the mount of the Ganga and of Varuna and the mightiest of water beings. In Indian art the makara adorns temple gateways as an auspicious emblem.

Srotasam asmi jahnavi, ‘among rivers I am Jahnavi’, the Ganga. She is called Jahnavi because, as the story goes, while following Bhagiratha she swept away the hermitage of the sage Jahnu, who drank her up; at Bhagiratha’s prayer he released her from his ear, and so she became Jahnu’s daughter. Flowing from Vishnu’s feet through Shiva’s matted locks to the earth, the Ganga is revered as the holiest of rivers, washing away sin and granting liberation.

Context

Verse 30 named glories in Prahlada, Time, the lion and Garuda. This verse names the wind, Rama, the makara and the Ganga. In the next verse Krishna names Himself as the beginning, middle and end of creations, the science of the Self among sciences, and vada, truth-seeking discussion, among debaters.

Life lesson

Rama’s example teaches that power must always serve dharma. Like the wind, purify the atmosphere around you; and like the Ganga, keep flowing, giving purity and life to others.

Key terms

Pavana: wind, the purifier
Rama: Shri Rama, son of Dasharatha, the ideal man
Makara: great aquatic creature, mount of the Ganga
Jahnavi: the Ganga, daughter of sage Jahnu
Srotas: stream, river